


The Arrangement

by impressmyism



Category: Schitt's Creek (TV) RPF
Genre: I Suck At These Tags, M/M, Mutual Pining, Pining, These boys are a lost cause, mentioning of Clare, some sexual references but not in detail
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-25
Updated: 2020-04-03
Packaged: 2021-03-01 03:21:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,946
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23318287
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/impressmyism/pseuds/impressmyism
Summary: Dan and Noah explore their relationship post show all because of a little drunken confession and it is given the go ahead. What happens when they are only given such a short amount a time together and it goes from fun to confusing REAL fast?
Relationships: Dan Levy & Noah Reid, Dan Levy/Noah Reid, Noah Reid/Clare
Comments: 16
Kudos: 39





	1. Part I

**Author's Note:**

> This is post show but pre-quarantine nonsense and I haven't written rpf in a long, long, long time but I want to thank fortheloveofdragandschitt on tumblr for a) getting me into SC and b) kinda putting this fic energy out there. I don't write often and when the plot bunnies show up and don't leave, I must obey them and write.
> 
> Also disclaimer: I don't own these people, obviously and this is just for fun, just fiction and pretend to pass the time during these dark moments!

It was the second time the alarm on the phone went off. There was a groan, a sigh and a movement in bed where a body seems to roll over and away from the phone. And then, there’s a smell in the air, a familiar scent.  
  
Coffee.  
  
Warm, fresh coffee.  
  
Dan couldn’t help but open his eyes, adjusting to the somewhat harsh light from the morning. He let out a deep yawn into his pillow and rolled onto his back. Naked, and only using his cover to shield the lower half of himself, he reached over to get rid of the alarm off his phone. He couldn’t bear to hear it again. Especially with the slight hangover headache he was having.  
  
He was alone in his bed, yet the other side of it showed that there was another body. The sheets were barely cold which meant his company had been awake for a short period of time. Yawning and stretching, he threw on a pair of boxers on the floor that was discarded last night and runs a hand through his crazy bedhair, standing straight up and curly.  
  
It was around 8:26 am, LA time, in his home that he shared with his dog Redmond who was missing but most likely hanging out with company. He heard the light sounds of singing from the kitchen and paused to watch the scene in front of him.  
  
Redmond was following and leaning against Noah who was singing while pouring cream into his coffee. He and Noah had some incredible amounts of chemistry that seemed to spill over into real life. Dan, as single as he was, had found himself infatuated with his co-star. There was something charming and soft about Noah that made Patrick popular on his show. But there were other parts of Noah that Dan found himself being so fond of. His comforting presence, everything felt so easy with him, his smile, his wit, his talents… so many things. But there was something, well, someone in the middle of it all.  
  
Clare.  
  
Clare is Noah’s girlfriend, sweet like a cupcake. She was fun, gentle, funny, the kind of girl you’d bring home and eventually married. Dan wasn’t jealous, more or less envied that kind of relationship, that kind of partnership he longed to find himself.  
  
And then on a night out celebrating, he blabbed his crush on Noah to her.  
  
Clare told Noah and then Noah joked about “sharing him”. That caused laughter since he wasn’t too shocked about Dan’s drunken confession. Noah had always felt that there was a crush there but when the laughter died down and the seriousness of the situation came to fruition, this is where they were now. He would spend most of his time with Clare, I mean, that was his girlfriend but somehow, spending time with Dan, now that was a new development into a relationship being shared… would Dan consider Noah as his “boyfriend”? No. Lover is a better term. Though he desperately wanted more.  
  
Especially now, being it was a Saturday and he had only one more day left with him before he would leave. Redmond finally took note of Dan’s presence and immediately ran over to him, demanding pets and rubs from his owner.  
  
“And how long have you been standing there?” Noah asked, leaning against the counter top with his burgundy coffee mug in hand, sipping coffee.  
  
“Long enough to see that shimmy.” Dan immediately teased, releasing his dog to let him climb onto the couch. He walked the short distance to meet Noah face to face and placed his hands on either side of Noah’s face and gave him a soft kiss on his lips. Mm, tasted like sugar and cream. “Made yourself comfortable, I see.” Noting the coffee mug, the actual process of making coffee, the lounging. Noah was dressed in a white t-shirt and pajama pants, barefoot.  
  
“I planned on staying in bed but the want for coffee won out.” Noah grinned. He sat the mug down before appropriately wrapping his arms around Dan. “And you were pretty cute snoring.” He teased, causing Dan to scrunch up his nose and leaned in for another kiss. The kiss was heated quickly, more slower movements, more tongue and more itching to grab and caress one another. David and Patrick, their counterparts, their affections were minimal, but effective to show that they did love each other. The brief but meaningful kisses on screen were nothing like what was going on right now in the kitchen.  
  
Their lips briefly broke apart. “You plan on waking me up like that, Daniel?”  
  
“Only if you stay in bed longer.” Dan had rubbed the sides of Noah’s arms, feeling how warm he was underneath his palms and kissed him one last time before finding his go to mug to join him in morning coffee.  
  
The previous night was full of curiosity and passion, exploring each other’s bodies as they were establishing what was to become of this arrangement. They spent majority of the night in bed, kissing, touching, gripping and orgasms following and now that the sun was up, a new day could begin on exploration.  
  
“What do you want to do today?” Dan asked, putting some sugar into his coffee. “Besides, stare at me like that.”  
  
“You started it last night, Dan, I’m just here to finish the staring contest,” Noah laughed, brushing a curly section of Dan’s hair up. “You know I’m just… a tourist here in LA. You should probably offer me suggestions on what to do.” Now he was taking a seat at the counter on one of the stools. His wiggled his eyebrows at Dan who playfully rolled his eyes.  
  
“Not sure if I can squeeze in all the things I want to do with you and to you in three days, Reid,” Dan finally sipped the coffee and it felt warm hitting his stomach. “Just want to keep you here to myself, enjoy you and not think about Sunday evening.” That day was the day when Noah would leave and it just felt like it wasn’t enough time. It was never enough time, even while shooting the show.  
  
“I don’t want to think about it either. As much as I love Toronto and Clare, leaving you is going to be hard… again.”  
  
Noah, fully aware of Dan’s crush on him, hadn’t fully come to terms about his own feelings for the other man until around season six. There was always something alluring and seductive about Dan in Noah’s opinion and more work focused, he missed a lot of the small signs. Looking back, they were obvious but he wanted to remain professional at the same time. And now, post that show celebration, post that conversation, he was now able to see and feel freely with the okay from Clare.  
  
And with the show being over, realizing that he wouldn’t see Dan as often anymore, it was hard walking away. Hell, it was hard for everyone to walk away from set one last time. Deep in thought, he came to with feeling soft kisses on the back of his neck, into his hair. “Let’s make breakfast, order pizza later, watch a movie and enjoy the day? Relax and just… fuck, I don’t know, just do us?” That definitely had two different connotations and Noah couldn’t help but grin into his mug. It was almost empty.  
  
“Waffles, please.” Noah kissed from behind, Dan leaning down. “Waffles, bacon, eggs.”  
  
“You got it, baby.” Dan grinned, his mood elevating higher.  
  
There was a bit of a pep in Dan’s steps as he began to treat Noah to a simple but delicious breakfast all while Noah watched him shuffle back and forth. 

  
If this was how the beginning of their arrangement was to start; easy, comfortable, passionate, getting to know each other on a different and deeper level than their on screen counterparts, then this was worth it.  
  
Well, seeing Dan half naked, wearing his glasses, and bending over a stove was a clear bonus.


	2. Part II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dan, Noah and Clare have a system: the two men spend their time together over weekends (if possible). These are the moments when Noah is away in Canada and Dan is left alone to handle his thoughts and emotions over the "arrangement". How long can Dan last in this situation though?

When it was time for Noah to leave LA and head back to Canada, Dan tried his hardest to pretend that it wasn’t bothering him. He tried to be cool, not say many words but that proved to be a stupid idea because Noah immediately picked up on it.

Especially in the car ride to LAX. 

Dan drove, a shuffle of 90s pop hits played in the background, and wore shades to cover his face. Noah donned shades as well, and a cap but occasionally glanced over at Dan who looked to be shaking when he didn’t have to control a moving vehicle. The morning started out normal, they made breakfast together, ate, showered together and spent time watching the first couple of episodes of a Netflix documentary series.

But the closer the time came for Noah to leave, the more quiet and antsy Dan got. 

“Hey, are you alright?” Noah asked, he had to ask him while they were sitting at a red light. “You’re shaking.” It _was_ a chilly day in Los Angeles. It was also early, too.

“Just cold.” Dan shook his head, staring straight ahead. 

Yup, something was definitely wrong.

Once they arrived at the airport, no one moved out the car. The sounds of TLC’s “Baby Baby Baby” was repeating its chorus as both men sat. Noah then turned the volume down and turned to Dan. “What’s wrong, really? You’ve been so… so quiet this whole time and I know something’s wrong. You do this thing with your jaw when you’re upset. You clench it and you’re doing it now.”

Dan relaxed his jaw and let out a sigh. Of course Noah would pick up on that. Quiet but always observing. “I’ve been dreading this day, Noah. I knew you were going to have to leave but I’m not exactly happy about you leaving. I just got used to having you around, have you in my house, my kitchen, my bed. Waking up with you, falling asleep with you. I like having you around,” Dan broke the dam and finally looked over to his right, glancing over at the man who had been giving him happiness for the past few days. 

Noah didn’t say much but chuckled a little and reached over to grab Dan’s hand that was holding on tight on the steering wheel, removing it and resting. “It’s okay to say I miss you.” He said, looking down at their interlocked hands. “I’ll miss you.”

Dan couldn’t help but smile, his lips breaking into a large smile. He had stopped shaking. “I’ll miss you, too,” Dan admitted, finally putting that energy out there and was rewarded with a long, passionate kiss from Noah. “I’ll walk you in if you want.”

“Think you can handle seeing me walk through that gate,” Noah teased him. 

“Just get your bag.” Dan replied briefly, kissing Noah one more time in the car before turning off the engine.

**

Days later in the week, Dan found himself in two moods: lost and swamped.

Swamped because his work seemed to just pile on and on and on. He had wished for more opportunities after Schitt’s Creek, dreamed of creating new characters, new precious moments, showcasing new lives on screen and it seemed like this week was the start of almost turning frantic.

He was thankful for some kind of distraction in Redmond who was there by his feet as he was in the living room. The television was on but on mute, laptop on the coffee table and a bottle of water, a glass of wine and almost empty coffee mug sat. The coffee mug was burgundy.

The lonely mood hit at certain peaks. When there was downtime, late midnight snacks, lack of sleeping hours and in the mornings when making breakfast was just for one. “I need a break,” Dan mumbled, propping his feet up on the table, leaned back against the soft couch and Redmond joined him finally. He pulled out his phone and opened instagram. 

Scroll, scroll, like, like, save, scroll and scroll. It was a repeat pattern. Until he got a notification that **olreid** was now live and starting a live video.

 _Live_?

Noah rarely did live. Hell, he rarely did stories.

But there he was, live and public. Since the airport fiasco, they had spoken in text messages, over the phone, even face timed. But he was curious as to what Noah was doing on instagram so he clicked his profile picture at the top and was surrounded by hundreds of fans who were just as eager to see him.

His presence wasn’t a secret for long when fans noticed **instadanjlevy** was there too, immediately tagging him and sending heart emojis of all sorts. Noah seemed to be in his living room, perched between that room and what looked to be a patio door where a nice scenic background set the scene. 

“Wow there’s a lot of people in here,” Noah noted, smiling at the number of people coming in rising and took note to say hi as well. His eyebrow rose at seeing some comments mentioning Dan was in the chat and smirked. “Oh Dan’s here? Hey Dan.” And it was the way he said it that caused Dan smirk at the screen. “So uh, I’ve got some free time here and I was playing around with renditions of some popular songs. Clare said it was instagram worthy, right?” Oh so Clare was there, in the background, giggling. “I think most of the songs you’ll recognize but I had a lot of fun changing up Simply the Best for the show that I’m gonna continue doing that. Is that cool with you guys?” He finished his thought and multiple comments and emjois exploded in response. Dan didn’t bother to do much but like the live which was swamped with other likes after his. Noah pulled out his guitar, sat it in his lap and strummed a few notes with a pick. “Let’s see if you can guess this number,” and soon, he slowly played. 

Dan couldn’t recognize the opening notes. 

( _Well, I guess it would be nice if I could touch your body_  
 _I know not everybody has got a body like you_ ) 

Noah continued strumming and then the comments started flooding in about which song that sounded nothing like the original.   
  
( _But I gotta think twice before I give my heart away_  
 _And I know all the games you play because I played them, too_ …)

It was Faith by George Michael and now paired with Noah wearing a black shirt and jeans, it was making all the sense to him. Dan smiled fondly at the screen, listening to Noah sing and missed hearing that voice around him. It was almost as if he was starting to… no it was too soon to be feeling *that* emotion.

( _Baby, I know you're askin' me to stay_  
 _Say "Please, please, please don't go away_ ”)

 **Please don’t go away**.

It almost felt as if Noah was singing to him. He did catch the other man singing in the shower, a Wham! number, drowning in hot water. Noah winked at the camera and Dan clutched his phone harder and then bombarded with Redmond wanting to get in on the action, recognizing Noah and immediately pawing at the screen.

“You miss him, too, huh?” He petted the dog. “So do I.”

Noah ended his version of Faith to applause, Clare, hooting and hollering and throwing a flower in his direction. Dan felt envy once again. He adored Clare, really liked her, liked her company but, he didn’t want to finish that thought. 

The live ended and Dan sighed, about to toss his phone to the side when his phone started ringing. Noah was calling. And he eagerly answered.

**

A day later, Noah was live again. 

Different location this time, now outside, wearing a light jacket on the patio with that same scenic view as last time. Noah’s hair was slicked back, looked like maybe he had just showered and possibly smelled of that one Tom Ford cologne that Dan gifted him for his birthday.

Stacey Farber, one of their good to best friends, was also seen in the chat. The comments seemed to be going faster this time around. “Hey guys,” Noah paused. “I didn’t realize how uh, popular this was going to become. I just wanted to share my love of music of all sorts with you guys and, uh, put my own spin on them. This time, there’s no George Michael but it is a popular artist and guitarist. I wonder how many of you guys will know this one.”

Dan, still lounging in his pajamas and in bed, propped the phone on his thighs. Redmond was asleep on the small bed in the corner for him. 

“Before I start, this song is dedicated to a special someone.” Clare perhaps?

( _Excuse me but I need a mouth like yours_  
 _To help me forget the girl that just walked out my door_  
 _Funny but it seems that you're alone like me_  
 _If you are go, let's come see what we can see_ )

Dan was stumped this time. 

( _Oh, darlin' if you're free four a couple of hours_  
 _If you ain't busy for the next seven years_  
 _Say, let's pretend we're married and go all night_ )

Dan was *truly* stumped. He saw that Stacey gave an answer, Phil Collins. Really Stacey? He was going to clown her for that later. 

It was 11:28 am.

“Oh come on guys, you don’t know this number?” Noah teased, smiling and laughing as he continued to play. “I’ve seen at least two people guess in the right direction.” 

( _There ain't nothin' wrong if it feels all right_  
 _I won't stop until the morning light_  
 _Let's pretend we're married and go all night, tonight_ )

Noah then abruptly stopped playing. “I’ll give you guys a hint,” and soon, strumming something new and familiar, the comments flooded with purple hearts.  
  
Purple Rain, by Prince, was coming out from Noah’s guitar. “The song is Let’s Pretend We’re Married. It’s off the 1999 album. It’s right after another favorite song of mine, Delirious.”

Noah then switched up to begin singing Delirious on guitar. Dan was always in awe of Noah’s musical talents. It made him even more handsome in Dan’s eyes. 

( _I get delirious whenever you're near_  
 _Lose all self-control, baby just can't steer_  
 _Wheels get locked in place_  
 _Stupid look on my face_ )

“Thanks for coming to my um, Rendition Songs things on here. I don’t know, I’m still trying to figure this out here. Clare calls it the Noah Sings lives which sounds kind of corny. You guys have a great rest of your day and be safe!” Noah waved goodbye before smirking as the live ended.

A text message from Stacey briefly distracted him as both caught up with work and some new developments. Dan didn’t mention Noah and Stacey didn’t bring up who exactly Noah was singing to. 

**

It was Wednesday now. 

Dan spent most of the previous night writing. He had also spent time drinking more wine, cooking pasta and late night chats with Noah, urging him to come back as soon as he could. The arrangement was he would spend most of his days with Clare, as it always had been, they were dating, they were a couple but with Dan, just three days never seemed enough. 

He didn’t want to say the “j” word. _Jealous_.

Was he jealous? He didn’t know. He wasn’t angry either. He just felt a bit lost. He couldn’t bring it up to Noah because what was he gonna do? End things with Clare and start something with him? He didn’t want anyone to get hurt in this. This was supposed to be fun and yet Dan is finding himself in Los Angeles, yearning for the other man. Noah had something for Dan, otherwise they wouldn’t be doing this but Dan had been out for years, _years_. 

Redmond got scared at something from the backyard and zoomed back inside the house. He avoided Instagram as much as he could today. At the rate Noah was going with being more active, he was possibly going to either chuck his phone or blurt out something stupid online.

So his phone remained on “do not disturb”. He only turned it on to answer phone calls or texts, no social media. If it was urgent, someone would let him know. This was for the best. He needed to think about something or someone other than Noah.

His phone lit up with a new text message when his hand graced over the screen by accident. It was from Noah. Then another one. A third one. And finally, a fourth one. Dan sighed, reaching over Redmond and paused his typing on his laptop. 

**There’s a new song…**   
**I think you’ll like this one. For every day I’m gone, there’s a song for you.**   
**I’m singing to you.**   
_**I miss you.** _

Fuck. Fuck him. He wanted to but also, _fuck him_. Dan texted and then backspaced it. He sent out one response.

** What song? **

Noah was a quick at responding.

**Just go check it. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised ;)**

Dan sighed and rubbed his face after pushing up his glasses. His finger hovered over the Instagram app and why was he acting like this? Why was he scared of this? Maybe now that Noah confirmed that he wasn’t singing to Clare, he was singing to _him_ and that scared him and excited him. Fuck, what did it all mean? Noah seemed confident and for the first time, Dan felt some kind of insecurity.

And then the first tear fell when Dan heard the guitar notes of a Mariah Carey song, My All, being played. Noah wasn’t on screen, he wasn’t live, it was a story. Now Noah was in the backyard fully, the phone looking in the opposite direction as Noah crooned lyrics of the first verse and the chorus. It was stripped down, more easier and laid back to sing. 

( _I am thinking of you_  
 _In my sleepless solitude tonight_  
 _If it's wrong to love you_  
 _Then my heart just won't let me be right_ ) 

Noah tugged at the heartstrings. Noah was awakening something deep within him that he never thought he would experience again, let alone his co-star and one of his closest friends. The show might have been over, David and Patrick’s journey was over and forever cemented on screen and yet the ever growing relationship between him and Noah seemed to be going up and down, turning left and right instead of going straight. Straight, ha-ha, pun. 

Dan wiped what was coming down his face, what was left of the misty tears and opened his messages again.

 ~~I love you~~ … no, that’s too much.  
 **I love it.** He hit send.

Noah was no Mariah Carey but he was pretty darn close. 

**

It was Thursday afternoon, another nice sunny day in Los Angeles. Dan was returning home after being in a few meetings back to back, stumbling through the front door and ambushed by Redmond who missed him in those short hours. Once he got his pets in, the four legged creature climbed onto his favorite spot on the sofa. 

Dan dropped his bag and car keys on a separate lounge chair and dropped face down onto the couch, letting out the biggest groan into the fabric. He remembered his sunglasses were still on his face, his Tom Ford sunglasses. “Shit,” he grumbled, taking them off and they were fine, not broken. 

Rolling over onto his back, he kicked off his dress shoes off his feet. He wore a pair of black slacks, black dress socks and a black and tan striped sweater that wasn’t too hot for the weather.

His phone’s screen consisted of a couple of missed calls and texts from Sarah, Stacey, Trevor and Lucky. 

Twitter wasn’t doing much at the moment, he liked a few posts and followed a couple of people. Instagram wasn’t much better, it was still afternoon time. He liked a new post from Annie, however. Countless stories and until he scrolled further to see others, Noah was present again. It wasn’t a live stream but a story. It seemed like every day, Noah was pushing Dan further and further off his feet. He thought he had assessed him, knew him to a t, and as of lately, he was going against everything Dan knew and it excited him.

It was a story from Noah’s perspective, walking through what looked like the airport, the song Adore You by Harry Styles was playing. 

( _Oh, honey_  
 _I'd walk through fire for you_  
 _Just let me adore you_  
 _Like it's the only thing I'll ever do_ )

Dan realized it just then. It was love. He was in _love_ with Noah.   
_What_? 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I struggled so hard with either making this a 3 part (separate fics) or chapters but this won out better. You can still find me over at @impressionism on tumblr if you'd like :)
> 
> ALSO songs used in this chapter:  
> Baby, Baby, Baby - TLC  
> Faith - George Michael  
> Let’s Pretend We’re Married - Prince  
> Delirious - Prince  
> Purple Rain - Prince   
> My All - Mariah Carey  
> Adore You - Harry Styles


	3. Part III

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things come to an unexpected head and a friendship is on the line. What happens when Noah and Dan are basically forced to deal with what's been growing between them and what decisions will they make?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own these people or their likeness. This is fiction, just for fun. However, I am shook that Noah decided to do a song remix live and I'm scared they might have read this.

It seemed like such a long since Dan had Noah next to him, in his arms but it wasn’t. It just _felt_ like it had been. It felt as if Noah himself hung the moon and the stars, it felt like coming home, it felt like that goddamn l word that Dan refused to acknowledge.   
  
His hair was a mess, and despite the past two and a half hours of making out like horny teenagers and then going at it like bunnies, he couldn’t sleep. His brain was racing with thoughts he didn’t want to confront so soon in their reunion. Hell, just in general. Dan rolled over onto his back and immediately felt an arm go around his middle, holding him as the other body in bed cuddled up to him. He couldn’t help but gaze down at the body and let out a deep breath that disguised itself as a sigh.   
  
He was _in love_ with Noah, head over heels for the man. God, had it always been there? From the beginning? Fuck, how cliche, falling in love with your costar. Well, former costar. He just groaned and forced himself to hide further into his cover to snuggle into some warmth with Noah.   
  
Dan could think about this later.   
  
**   
  
The next day, both Dan and Noah, along with Redmond went to a flea market outdoors. Noah was excited, not really into labels and appreciated finding rare finds for a good bargain. Dan went for the vitamin C and hopefully find some hidden gems as well and Redmond, well, he wasn’t about to be left alone.   
  


Redmond was happily leading the men around the market, occasionally stopping when he wanted to but also when Noah spotted something to check out. “Why does this actually look like something you’d wear?” Noah commented, finding a nice vintage watch that was reasonably priced at a booth. It wasn’t his own style, it was Dan’s.   
  
“You know me way too well,” Dan smirked, spying on what had caught Noah’s eye and took another sip of his to go cup from Starbucks. “It’s beautiful.” The watch was quite grand but definitely older, possibly from the late 60s, early 70s.   
  
“I’m gonna get it. It won’t be a surprise but I think it found its new owner.” Noah smiled big and it was contagious, Dan smiling in response. God, he wanted to kiss him. Right then and there, kiss him for the world to see, show him gratitude. Was he allowed to kiss him publicly? Hold his hand? Did he want to hold hands? Why is he suddenly second guessing everything?   
  
Once Noah purchased the watch as well as a couple of other pieces of jewelry from the same vendor, both parties walked along with their four legged creature. “Can I ask you something?” Dan asked when they stopped in front of some hand painted furniture.   
  
“What’s up?”   
  
Dan held his breath. “It’s silly.”   
  
“Coming from you, I doubt that.” Noah said, gazing over some wood chairs, hand carved and painted. They were beautiful, but were they worth the hassle of getting them back to Toronto? “What’s on your mind, Daniel?”   
  
He liked it when he was called Daniel, specifically by Noah.   
  
“I was thinking,” Dan sighed. “Wondering… what would it be like to hold your hand out here? Like for the world to see.” It was a topic never ventured. Holding hands, acting like a couple, kissing like one. Were they one? And Noah looked up from his view point, seeing that Dan was looking everywhere but at him. He was too much like his on screen counterpart.   
  
“I didn’t know you wanted that.” He stood up, gathering himself.   
  
“Well, we never talked about it. And I know I’m probably asking for much, I mean, you’re not even my boyfriend!” He exclaimed. “And I didn’t know I wanted this until a week ago when you were getting on a plane and all I wanted to do was hold your hand in the airport and kiss you goodbye, see you off.” Dan committed word vomit, his coffee lost its flavor, it was almost empty anyway and Redmond barked to interrupt the momentary silence.   
  
“Dan,” Noah moved so they could get away from the closest vendor so they could have some kind of privacy. “Your feelings are valid and you know me and I know you. If you want to hold my hand, hold my hand.” Noah held out his available hand. The other hand had the dog leash.   
  
This was it.   
  
This was the moment. And Dan took it. It was the first step to figuring out what exactly they were.   
  
**   
  
What they were however, was still complicated.   
  
Noah still called and texted Clare frequently, sending memes and links to each other back and forth and while Dan was cordial to Clare over the phone, and vice versa, Dan felt his anxiety build up again. He played it off as best as he could but one of these days, he was gonna break.   
  
The other man was to stay an extra day or two since Clare was traveling to New York. Noah just decided to stay in Los Angeles longer, which on the surface sounded great and that meant Dan could spend more time with him. But that lingering voice in the back of Dan’s head was starting up again. He couldn’t face those nagging fears right now. He wanted to be present, be in the moment with the man he was in love with him. Who, also, had no clue and couldn’t read minds. Maybe he did. Great, that’s something new Dan can worry about now. He was currently looking over paperwork outside on the back patio. The pool was clean, empty and an occasional breeze was coming through. Dan escaped to not hear the “I love yous” and “I miss yous” coming from Noah and Clare. Each time he heard them, it would hit his chest and chip at it.   
  
His privacy and silence was interrupted when Noah cleared his throat and handed Dan a drink. Noah had a beer, himself. “Figured you’d want this,” it was a glass of red wine, a good one that they’ve been sharing together on and off since they’ve started their arrangement. Noah took a seat in the other patio chair next to him, took a sip of the beer and leaned back. “This never gets old.”   
  
“What doesn’t?” Dan asked, his curiosity piqued.   
  
“This view, being here with you. It’s comfortable. I like it.” Noah admitted, a soft smile on his face as he sipped his beer.   
  
“It is quite special, huh? You don’t get this in Toronto.” Dan teased but it almost seemed to come out like he was slightly dissing Noah’s home with Clare. And he wasn’t.   
  
Noah didn’t catch it like that. “No, no I don’t. LA is great to visit but staying? I don’t know about all that. Staying with you is close enough like home.”   
  
“What would happen if you stayed longer? Stayed for weeks on end? Months?” Dan asked, nerves in his words and in his stomach.   
  
“Like have a special drawer, space in your closet, borrow a toothbrush?” Noah teased.   
  
“Yeah, exactly like that.”   
  
Noah paused. “Do you know what you’re asking with that? Things could change and I don’t know if any of us -”   
  
“Us? I’m talking about me and you, Noah. I’m talking about how I’m going to go fucking crazy over here.” Dan took one final sip of wine, somehow it was giving him the dreaded liquid courage. “I want you here with me, all the time, and it’s fucking scary. It’s scary how much I’m dependent on you. And I don’t want to say I’m jealous, but I’m jealous. I’m jealous that you and Clare live this perfect little life in Toronto, being a couple that deep down I love, but I’m jealous that I truly can’t be a part of it. I would love for us to all be happy and in love together but I can’t. I don’t think I can do this anymore.” Dan huffed, slightly out of breath. And when he looked at Noah, who had a blank look on his face, Dan got up, took his paperwork and wine inside.   
  
He couldn’t bear to be embarrassed or feeling like he crossed a line.   
  
Dan hid away for the rest of the night and for the first time since they started, he slept alone. Noah slept in the guest room, shockingly, Redmond stayed with him.   
  
**   
  
The next day was weird. It was awkward.   
  
Dan awoke to the smell of coffee and a headache. Apparently drinking the rest of the wine and on the verge of crying did not go well together. Redmond was pawing at his door and he let the dog in, happy to see his owner and get plenty of rubs.   
  
He woke up fully clothed in pajamas, that was a first in a while, and it was eerily silent. Noah couldn’t have left LA, he wasn’t *that* mean spirited but he was around in some form, someone made coffee. And now that someone was gone.   
  
Dan poured coffee and decided to make an omelette with cheese, bacon on the side and noticed that Redmond’s bowls were filled and taken care of as well.   
  
“Did I screw things up, Red?” He mindlessly asked the dog who only made a whine and cocked his head at him. “I did. But I had to, right?” The dog rubbed his head against his pant leg. “Yeah, I love you too, Red.”   
  
In the middle of cooking and enjoying breakfast and taking vitamins, he checked his phone. There as a text from Noah. It read:   
  
Went to the gym. Fed Redmond. There’s coffee waiting. I’ll be back later today.   
  
Yeah, he didn’t screw up anything at all.   
  
He took a long shower, longer than usual, and dressed comfortably for the day since he didn’t plan on going anywhere unless it was outside in the confines of his yard and backyard. Another beautiful, sunny day and he wasn’t about to spend his day sulking. He did that last night. And he absolutely hated it.   
  
The familiar ring tone rattled his bones as he was searching for a book in another room. He left his phone in the kitchen, only planning on being gone for a few minutes and that turned into twenty minutes. The name on the screen made him freeze: CS with an emoji flower…   
  
Clare.   
  
He could not _not_ answer it. It rang two more times before he picked up. “Hey Clare,”   
  
“It’s my favorite Levy,” Clare responded and it sounded like she was smiling, in a good mood. At least one of them were. “I’m glad I caught you, you weren’t busy doing anything were you?”   
  
So cordial. Not fair.   
  
“No, I’m just hanging out at the house. If you’re looking for Noah, he’s out at some gym.”   
  
“Oh yeah! I know, I just wanted to talk to you for a minute.” Oh great. “It’s been a while since we’ve talked and I wanted to...see… how you were doing.”   
  
“He told you.”   
  
“Everything.”   
  
_Damn it, Noah_.   
  
“I don’t want you to feel embarrassed, Levy. We talk about everything, good, bad and the ugly. That’s just how our relationship has always been. And I’m not saying that to flaunt that in front of you, Dan. You know that’s not my intention.”   
  
“I know, I know,” Dan said in a sigh, sitting down on the couch. The Discovery Channel was playing a marathon about people finding gold, he didn’t know, it was just on. “I don’t want to overstep boundaries when I’m feeling a certain way.”   
  
“It’s not hard to fall for Noah, it’s pretty easy to. And there’s a lot we need to talk about, just you and me. And no, I won’t tell this to Noah.”   
  
Whether that was a good thing or a bad thing, Dan felt comfortable to talk to Clare. Especially now that Noah was gone doing who knows what at whatever gym.   
  
**   
  
Later that day, Noah returned back, exhausted, a bit sweaty but he felt good. He spent all of last night in his own thoughts, a bit stunned. Well, a lot is an understatement. He loved Clare, loved her with all his heart and yet the same kind of love had shifted into what he felt for Dan.   
  
Sleeping away from Dan was weird. Very weird. It was as if a part of himself had walked away, willingly, and still hadn’t reattached.   
  
But now, being back in Dan’s home, he didn’t know if he felt welcomed.   
  
Redmond felt otherwise, running towards him, excited to see him. “Missed you too, pup.” His tail wagged excitedly at the extra attention.   
  
“Welcome back.” It was a voice that still had honey smothered all over it. And that’s when the smell hit his nostrils, smelled like some kind of pasta. Dan was at the stove, stirring with a wooden ladle.   
  
“Hey,” Noah approached Dan, walking further into the home, Redmond following behind. “Smells really good.”   
  
“I think after about three bowls there should be enough for you.” That caused Noah to break into a small smile.   
  
“Are we good?”   
  
Dan sighed. “Yeah, we’re good. I’m sorry for how I was acting last night. You didn’t deserve to be shut out like that.” He was keeping an eye on the pasta sauce that was starting to boil to be added with the spaghetti and meatballs.   
  
“You don’t need to apologize. I’m not mad or anything. I was just a bit stunned and not responding made it worse. I wanted to talk to you later that night but you were asleep and I didn’t want to wake you and…” Noah trailed off, moving to stand behind Dan as he was keeping his focus on the stove top. “I think we both need to be more open about what we want. And what I want is to kiss you.” His hands were resting on Dan’s waist and felt the other man melt against him.   
  
Dan turned briefly kiss Noah on his lips, the kiss turning from sweet and soft to more passionate, the aroma of the homemade pasta sauce wafting in the air. Noah then kissed Dan’s neck, his own way of showing expression had spilled into on screen.   
  
A late lunch with both parties and Red seemed like a good start to moving on.   
  
But then it fell apart.   
  
**   
  
“I think you should go to New York.” Dan said out of nowhere while he and Noah were watching a rom-com, A Walk to Remember.   
  
“New York, what are you talking about?”   
  
“I was talking to Clare the other day and,” Dan paused. “I think she’d like you there. She didn’t tell me to say that but it’s what I think. You need to be with her, not me.”   
  
“Daniel,” Noah groaned, his frustration was building up. “Clare in New York has, should have nothing to do with us. I want to be here with you. I love being here with you.” He knew what the situation was with Clare and family, meeting up to enjoy some time in the big apple. And yet, Noah, who had known Clare and her family for a while, was in LA with Dan.   
  
“I know but you’re hers and she’s yours. I don’t fit there. As a friend, yes, but I can’t hold out on anything more. I can’t have you the way that I want to or deserve to. I’d rather let this end and let it go than just getting hurt because you’ll pick Clare and that’s the end of it. I told her I was walking away from this so you guys can continue to be… you.” Dan, deep down, was being selfless, willing to walk away.   
  
“And I’m just supposed to be okay with this?” Noah spoke.   
  
“Yes.”   
  
“I’m not. In fact, I’m pissed. I get no say in this. You’ve made up your mind. Dan, I, I don’t even know what to say. What am I supposed to do? I…” Noah was speechless, getting up to shuffle back and forth, confused, upset. 

  
“I think you should go.” Dan suggested silently. He was mentally and emotionally ready for the repercussions of his words and actions to come back at him. Instead, his heart broke into a thousand pieces when Noah said nothing the entire time he walked away, packed and eventually left.   
  
No goodbye. No final look at him.   
  
This is what he wanted right? What an idiot.   
  
**   
  
Being upset was an understatement.   
So could be worse than upset?   
  
Hurt.   
  
Noah was hurt.   
  
Upset and hurt were not the mix for a sensible Noah to be dealing with. He had left Dan’s home, mostly in a fit of rage to just walk away instead of possibly blowing up, the one line he refused to cross.   
  
An uber picked him up and he didn’t look back. Instead, a constant scowl was on the man’s face as he decided, for the night to find a place to stay. Luckily, he had some options, voting for the Omni Hotel. He lucked out as he found himself in his room. It had a great view, the bed was nice and large, a simple but high quality room, he sat on the bed.   
  
He would stay through the weekend and thankfully a couple of the receptionists recognized him, and he used his charm to stay longer than he intended to which was just for one night.   
  
Noah reached in the back pocket of his pants to pull out the iphone that was burning a hole there. He searched through recent calls, ignoring the ones that had Dan’s name and number and clicked on Clare’s. He needed to talk to her. He needed to know what was going on, why Dan had changed. Maybe he hadn’t changed, maybe he did and he was just now realizing it. Dan wanted more from this, wanted more from him but already made it up in his mind that it wasn’t going to happen so why continue it?   
  
After the second ring, Clare picked up.   
  
“I was wondering when you were going to call me. How did things go?” Clare sounded oblivious, she probably didn’t know what was the outcome.   
  
“I don’t know, you ask him. He, he ended everything.”   
  
“What?” Clare was stunned.   
  
“He wanted more from me and he walked away. I’m in a hotel right now.” Noah admitted, trying so hard to not break and possibly cry.   
  
“That’s not what I suggested Noah, you know. I gave him solid advice. At the end of it, it was all up to him. I guess he took it in the only way he knew how.” Clare was busy sipping white wine from the other end. “Noah, I’m so sorry. I know how much you love him.”   
  
There was a beat of silence.   
  
“I never said-”   
  
“You don’t have to. I read it on your face every time you come back to Canada. You love him and he loves you. I don’t think I can stand in the way of your soulmate.” Clare said. Soulmate? Love? Clare was confusing him. “I love you guys, I love you both. I’m not upset at all, Noah. If anything, I’m supporting you in this. Dan’s upset and you’re upset but leaving LA isn’t the answer. I’m surprised you’re still there but talk to him but give him space. You need space, too.”   
  
“How are you so good at this?” Noah laughed and sobbed at the same time.   
  
“It’s a gift. I knew this might happen so I saw it coming. It’s funny how you two didn’t.”   
  
“I love you, Clare Bear.” Noah felt a little better.   
  
“Love you, too. Call me in the morning, yeah?” With that, both hung up and Noah tossed the phone to the side, still staring at it. Something happened there and now being sleepy, he didn’t dwell on it too much. He decided to take a quick shower and get into some comfortable pjs to sleep in.   
  
He didn’t realize that his shirt smelled like one of Dan’s colognes.   
  
_Fuck_.   
  
**

The days after watching (and letting) Noah leave were the worst. Dan spent days in bed, hiding under covers, avoiding sunlight. It didn’t get better when Sarah came around to check up on him, finding out the truth of what’s been happening and she felt bad for both parties. Her brother would always come first but Noah had become a huge part of her life, their lives. 

“Dan, you gotta get up and eat.” She pleaded with her brother who made a face and shook his head no. “Eat and then you can crawl back into bed, I promise.” Sarah was a great sister and with her help, managed to eat some leftovers she brought by, reheated on a blue plate. Blue. Like the color of Patrick’s many shirts. Noah played Patrick. He fought back tears of his current heartbreak but at least he had Sarah.

And Redmond who was hanging out at the end of the bed, sleeping.

  
**   
  
Sarah had long gone and now Dan was all alone in bed again. No television, barely any music and absolutely no phone. In fact, he turned it off. If someone needed him badly, they could find him at his home or direct all calls to Sarah, like she’s his secretary.   
  
Then the doorbell rang. It was only 7:55 p.m., not too late and not too dark. Maybe Sarah ordered him some food. Maybe it was a lost fan wanting a goddamn autograph. It rang again. Sighing, he pushed off the covers. He had grey socks on, pajama pants and the top he normally wore with it, a long sleeved button up, was tossed aside for a white shirt.   
  
The doorbell rang a third time.   
  
“I’m coming!” Dan screamed, his voice hoarse from not really speaking to anyone except Red and Sarah.   
  
When Dan reached the door and peeped through the hole, he felt his heart stopped. He slowly unlocked the door and it creaked open slowly to reveal the man who had been at the front of his thoughts, the reason for his heartache. He looked good, really good, wearing a dark denim jacket and cap. “What, what are you doing here?”   
  
“I never left LA, Daniel.”   
  
Dan rubbed his face and his eyes in response. “I thought you…”   
  
“Well you did kind of kick me out but I never left. Never got on a plane, never went to New York, I’ve been in a hotel room thinking about everything. Thinking about you and what’s going on, and can we take this inside?”   
  
Dan couldn’t say no. Hell, he couldn’t _say_ anything. Despite his voice, he was speechless. He moved to the side, letting Noah in and locking the door behind him, watching the man re-enter his home with more fresher eyes.   
  
Noah had his arms crossed, in a way shielding his heart from Dan who stood across from him. “I have a lot to say and you had your say. So you’re gonna listen.” Noah took off his cap, ran his fingers through his hair and slipped the cap back on. “I had no idea you had those ideas of us being… a couple. I’m not a mind reader, Daniel. I mean I should have known when we went to that flea market together but I didn’t quite put the pieces together. And then you threw out the word love which, god Dan, that’s a feeling I wasn’t ready for. But then it hit me the night I left. I love you. I’m *in* love with you which is way fucking different. I couldn’t think after you suggested I’d leave and I almost did. I almost thought about getting on a plane and not speaking about this again, not speaking to you. And then Clare told me to sleep on it.” Noah spoke in a soft but firm manner, keeping his eyes on both a spot on the floor and watching Dan who unknowingly took a couple of steps closer.   
  
“I think I’ve been in love with you since we first started working together. And when we started our… whatever we’re calling it, arrangement, the feelings grew more but I had something holding me back. I didn’t want to hurt Clare. She was my girlfriend.”   
  
Dan’s ears perked up at the mention of ‘was’, it was past tense.   
  
“And she’d kill me if I didn’t get this off my chest but Daniel Joseph Levy, I’ve been in love with you for years. I’d regret it if I didn’t say this before I leave.”   
  
Leave? He was leaving again?   
  
“These weeks with you were the most amazing moments I’ve had in so long. It was domestic, perfect, I couldn’t ask more. You’re one hell of a catch. And I’m sorry for spilling all this on you but I needed to.”   
  
“Shh,” Dan whispered, taking those last few steps to kiss Noah silent. Noah tasted like coffee and something else, sweeter, like caramel. He had missed those lips on his. The kiss was overdue and longer than intended, enjoying the feeling of having Noah’s body against his. “Just be quiet and let’s enjoy this.” Dan kissed Noah again, a little more passionately, frantically, pushing the shorter man up against a nearby wall. This didn’t feel like no goodbye kiss, well, makeout at the rate they were going. It was something else, the beginning of something else. Minutes later after staring at each other with sleepy, doe eyes and their lips a little plumper, Dan rested his forehead down to Noah’s. “You’re *my* catch. As corny as that sounds but there’s no one I want but you. I walked away because I was afraid. I was afraid I was going to get left behind and that’s not your fault or mine. I knew the chances were.”   
  
Noah ran a hand through Dan’s messy curls.   
  
“And I didn’t want you to leave. I almost wanted you to fight against it, fight against me to stay and when you didn’t, I felt like it was over. Friendship and all and that hurt the most. My anxiety really got the best of me.” Dan admitted, lightly pressing a kiss. “Basically we’re both idiots and Clare needs to be spoiled for an entire day.”   
  
“Oh believe me, she’ll get her complimentary wine.” Noah grinned. He was lucky to find someone who was so understanding and lovely and smart and Clare would stay high on his list forever.   
  
“So, what do we do now? What does it all mean?” Dan asked Noah who looked just as lost as he did. Hmm, they were two peas in a pod.   
  
“Well, how about you pack a bag or two and stay the last couple of days with me at the hotel? Free accommodations, pet friendly, there’s a pool and a large step in shower. I can’t repay you for your hospitality and putting you on a damned roller coaster but I guess it can be the start of a faux vacation.” Noah suggested since he did still have the hotel room.   
  
Dan’s bushy brows raised to the suggestion. He also started to rest his hands on Noah’s shoulders. Still the fascination with the man’s shoulders which ended up being a David thing. “Keep talking me into this.” He was basically telling Noah yes but it was always a little game they played, just smooth talking their way into stuff further.   
  
“Well,” Noah paused, seeing the other man’s eyes sparkle, spoke again. “The bathroom’s quite big, two sinks, enough counter space for your Dan-isms around. Little office area, a large screen tv, Red will have a good time.” Redmond was busy sleeping, otherwise, he would have been interrupting this moment to get some attention.   
  
“Red’s opinion is the most important.” Dan kissed Noah once more, a sigh into his lips. “Let’s get this faux vacation started.” Dan felt his heart getting pulled back together, piece by piece. Both of them were hurt, both of them were stupid, both of them were going to heal together.   
  
And for right now, both were going to go up into Dan’s room hand in hand together to pack for their faux vacation. Dan wanted to start anew, fresh and Noah wanted to show him that together, they can get through anything, even with an outside push. He wanted to hold onto Dan’s hand and walk together, kiss his lips and cheek, forehead.   
  
Dan would soon post a photo on instagram of Noah, distracted, and the caption reading “Mine.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had fun writing this, writing this new "ship" and scarily this fic has taken on some real life moments I was not prepared for (i.e. Noah's lives, Clare's there... certain songs requested). I'm a newbie into SC and watched most of 1-5 within 3 weeks and slowly working my way into s6 so thanks to @fortheloveofdragandschitt to be there rooting in my corner. I hope I can write more fics in the future, I used to all the time years ago and stopped.
> 
> Find me on tumber @ impressionism :)

**Author's Note:**

> follow me on impressionism at tumblr! i'm friendly, i promise! and this might continue in a series?


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